Bob McCarthy

A professional musician since the age of 15, Bob McCarthy is a songwriter, composer, guitarist, mandolinist, and vocalist who, during his earlier days in New York, performed at Gerde’s Folk City, the Cafe Wha? and many other Greenwich Village coffeehouses in addition to Boston/Cambridge area coffeehouses and college concerts in the late 1960s and early ’70s, earning raves from Variety and propelling him into the recording studio.

In 1972 he compiled a number of original compositions and his production/publishing company, Wandra Music, released his first album, Advice & Company. This LP was produced by Bob, Andy Pratt and his manager, Ray Paret (of AMPHION), and recorded at Aengus Studios, and engineered by owner Bill Riseman and Jesse Henderson. Advice & Company features Bob’s vocals and acoustic and electric guitar, and includes Andy Pratt on piano and vocals, Abraham Laboriel and David Saltman on bass, Rick Shlosser on drums, Bill Elliott on piano, Gene Rosov on cello and Robin Batteau on violin.

In addition to his solo career, he has shared the stage countless recording artists, including Jefferson Airplane’s Jorma Kaukonen, Bonnie Raitt, The Everly Brothers, Neil Young, Taj Mahal, Alex Taylor, Livingston Taylor, James Montgomery, Mountain, The Youngbloods, Jim Kweskin, Mimi Farina and many others. While playing guitar with Compton and Batteau (formerly known as Appaloosa) at a concert in Washington, DC in 1971, he shared the stage with The Beach Boys, bassist Charlie Mingus, Jonathan Edwards and Linda Ronstadt.

Bob currently has four CDs available, including his latest, 2011’s Wounded. He continues to perform as a studio guitarist and mandolinist at concerts, coffeehouses, and festivals.(by Laurie McDonald & Stephen Haag)